The Town
We live adjacent to the small town of Campo Verde, which, despite it's size is fully equipped with the essentials of a town or city. The following guidelines are derived from my travels, in which I have noted many of the towns or cities contain these elements.
1) A town square, or plaza. Every town of countenance must contain this, whether it is the magnificent "Plaza de Armas" of Cuzco, or the decrepit soccerfield in the disheveled town of Tinqui. These are ideal places to go and soak up some sun in the companionship of complete strangers. Sitting on a bench in town and chatting is a national pastime, in which I have partaken enthusiastically.
2) All towns must contain a Market, or "Mercado". Once inside, you are assailed by every imaginable sight, smell, and sound. A typical series of events are as follows. Bending my head, I step into the vast field of experiences awaiting me in the market. Pushing my way through the crowds, I am momentarily distracted by the sight of guinea pigs roasting on the spit, and then nearly run into the man selling boiled pigeon eggs. Ever thoughtful of the danger of pick-pockets, I glance behind me just in time to see a woman hacking ferociously at a pig carcass, each successive swipe is just a fraction from her unflinching hand. Distracted, I don't notice the little girl directly in my path who is attempting to sell me some gum. "No, gracias" I intone, but am drowned out by the insane hysterical laughter of a man who is wearing nothing but a tattered pair of shorts, who has doubtless succumbed to insanity, or imbibed in way to much alcohol. A lady who manages a fruit juice stand spots me, and decides I must be an ideal customer. "Joven!", she shouts, "Ven por aqui!", I wag my finger at her in typical peruvian style and continue on my way. I stop to heckle with a lady managing a fruit stand. Eyeing a big bunch of banannas, I querie, " Señora, Quantos para estos?" "Estos son 4 soles, Joven". I eventually walk away, banannas in hand, and 3 soles in the hands of fruit lady. We are both content. I continue on, repulsed, shocked, and enchanted, just part of the seething mass of humanity.
3) Every town has a cathedral, basillica, or church. Because of a strong Catholic presence, most of these churches hail to mary, but the evangelical and adventist congregations are growing rapidly. In many towns, the church is the most beautiful building, their architecture ranges from ancient gothic to modern simplicity, but in general, these buildings are quite extraordinary.
4) The Menú is a classic icon of a peruvian town. Among the most common dishes are "Tallerin Saltado", "Arroz Chaufa", "Lomo Saltado", and "Tortilla Verde". Most menús cost between 3-4 soles, or about a dollar. The word Menú can mean both the place you are eating in, and the food on your plate. A good Menú has a hot soup, a big plate of food, and a cold drink, called respectively, "Sopa", "Segundo", and "Refresco".
5) Most Peruvian towns have a bus station, as the bus is the primary mode of long-distance travel here. Bussing costs approxamently a dollar an hour, so a 20 hour bus ride will cost about 20 dollars, or roughly 60 soles. The bus station is typically chaotic and stressful. Chaotic because each destination is represented by a ticket counter, at each of which the attendant screams out the destination at top speed and volume. "Limalimalimalimalimaaaa!" shouts one in a nasal voice, "Arequipaarequipaquipaquipaqupa!" is intoned in a correspondingly aggrevating manner. Bus stations are stressful because of the necessarily constant vigilance against theives and pickpockets.
All this has the Peruvian town, in addition to many other and smaller threads, which also seem to make up the amazing fabric of life in Peru.
1) A town square, or plaza. Every town of countenance must contain this, whether it is the magnificent "Plaza de Armas" of Cuzco, or the decrepit soccerfield in the disheveled town of Tinqui. These are ideal places to go and soak up some sun in the companionship of complete strangers. Sitting on a bench in town and chatting is a national pastime, in which I have partaken enthusiastically.
2) All towns must contain a Market, or "Mercado". Once inside, you are assailed by every imaginable sight, smell, and sound. A typical series of events are as follows. Bending my head, I step into the vast field of experiences awaiting me in the market. Pushing my way through the crowds, I am momentarily distracted by the sight of guinea pigs roasting on the spit, and then nearly run into the man selling boiled pigeon eggs. Ever thoughtful of the danger of pick-pockets, I glance behind me just in time to see a woman hacking ferociously at a pig carcass, each successive swipe is just a fraction from her unflinching hand. Distracted, I don't notice the little girl directly in my path who is attempting to sell me some gum. "No, gracias" I intone, but am drowned out by the insane hysterical laughter of a man who is wearing nothing but a tattered pair of shorts, who has doubtless succumbed to insanity, or imbibed in way to much alcohol. A lady who manages a fruit juice stand spots me, and decides I must be an ideal customer. "Joven!", she shouts, "Ven por aqui!", I wag my finger at her in typical peruvian style and continue on my way. I stop to heckle with a lady managing a fruit stand. Eyeing a big bunch of banannas, I querie, " Señora, Quantos para estos?" "Estos son 4 soles, Joven". I eventually walk away, banannas in hand, and 3 soles in the hands of fruit lady. We are both content. I continue on, repulsed, shocked, and enchanted, just part of the seething mass of humanity.
3) Every town has a cathedral, basillica, or church. Because of a strong Catholic presence, most of these churches hail to mary, but the evangelical and adventist congregations are growing rapidly. In many towns, the church is the most beautiful building, their architecture ranges from ancient gothic to modern simplicity, but in general, these buildings are quite extraordinary.
4) The Menú is a classic icon of a peruvian town. Among the most common dishes are "Tallerin Saltado", "Arroz Chaufa", "Lomo Saltado", and "Tortilla Verde". Most menús cost between 3-4 soles, or about a dollar. The word Menú can mean both the place you are eating in, and the food on your plate. A good Menú has a hot soup, a big plate of food, and a cold drink, called respectively, "Sopa", "Segundo", and "Refresco".
5) Most Peruvian towns have a bus station, as the bus is the primary mode of long-distance travel here. Bussing costs approxamently a dollar an hour, so a 20 hour bus ride will cost about 20 dollars, or roughly 60 soles. The bus station is typically chaotic and stressful. Chaotic because each destination is represented by a ticket counter, at each of which the attendant screams out the destination at top speed and volume. "Limalimalimalimalimaaaa!" shouts one in a nasal voice, "Arequipaarequipaquipaquipaqupa!" is intoned in a correspondingly aggrevating manner. Bus stations are stressful because of the necessarily constant vigilance against theives and pickpockets.
All this has the Peruvian town, in addition to many other and smaller threads, which also seem to make up the amazing fabric of life in Peru.
posted by Jonas at 8:56 AM
7 Comments:
John, I enjoyed your description of Peruvian towns, felt like I was almost there with you. An excellent piece of writing again. Dad
Awesome description John! That sounds pretty cool! It sounds like there are exciting adventures even in the town.
Thanks for telling us a bit more about your life.
like Dad said, your writing is improving. Must be all Ansley's good influence. How is your Spanish coming?
While working through the rigors of a science major, continue to hone your natural writing skills. Perhaps you'll find a better job with National Geographic than you ever could at Loma Linda.
I am still unsure of how to respond to honest praise. Saying "Thankyou" is cheapened by it's frequent and insincere use, nevertheless: Thankyou.
So glad to hear some of the sights, sounds and experiences you are relishing as you go to town. Here by the fire in Maine, with snow piled deep outside it all seems so far away. But your description brings it vividly to life, thank you!
Y que te dije, chiquito? Que ibas a ir a South America, y volver hablando mejor que yo (más facil, eso!) y que ibas a poder entender completamente lo que dijimos cada uno de mi família. Y bueno, será la verdad, pero te cuento que no decimos nada importante... haha. Te aviso, no más. Y gracias por contarnos algo de la cultura allá, me re gustó cuando tu mamá leyó tu blog post en la iglesia la semana pasada. Lo escribiste bien, felicitaciones...
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